Memory loss, dementia and reduced brain function are major problems, particularly in elderly. Significant effort is put in the treatment and/or prevention of these disorders related with impaired nerve functioning. Persons older than 50 years of age are particularly prone to developing such disorders.
One way to tackle the problem is the administration of an uridine-containing nucleoside and/or nucleotide, preferably in the form of a nutritional composition.
WO2006/031683 (MIT, 23 Mar. 2006) teaches to administer a composition comprising uridine or a source of uridine, thereby inhibiting or preventing a decline in a cognitive function in a subject, wherein said decline is a result of a cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, or psychiatric disease. Uridine, in particular in the form of uridine monophosphate (UMP), is a nutrient that increases synthesis and release of neurotransmitters and membrane synthesis by neural cells and brain cells. Nutritional products containing uridine and high concentrations of macro- and micronutrients are administered to elderly patients, with the aim to prevent memory decline.
However, when targeting this group of patients often troubled by reduced appetite or disturbed eating behaviour, such a nutritional product needs to satisfy a number of requirements. It should be readily consumable, thus avoiding an insufficient intake of the active ingredients. For that purpose, it is strived for a product that is desirably palatable and which has a sufficiently low viscosity so it can be easily swallowed.
It is desirable to administer active ingredients to elderly and Alzheimer patients in liquid form. Furthermore, it is highly desirable to administer the active ingredients in a relatively small dosage form such that the administration does not interfere with normal nutritional intake. Additionally palatability is of utmost importance to ensure compliance products need to be consumed for many day, weeks, months or years.
Hence, based on the knowledge that nucleosides/nucleotides, particularly uridine- and/or cytidine-containing nucleotides, are advantageously used by patients suffering from memory impairment, the present inventors designed a liquid composition containing uridine monophosphate suitable for administration to elderly and Alzheimer patients, i.e. a liquid composition prepared by admixing different ingredients including a large amount of uridine monophosphate, edible oils, proteins and preferably also minerals.
However, unexpectedly, the uridine- and/or cytidine-containing nucleotides, in particular the nutritional composition comprising said uridine- and/or cytidine-containing nucleotides had a unpleasant taste, as further characterised by Qualitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA). Uridine as such is rated as “very bitter”, uridine monophosphate is rated as “sickly” or “salty”. It is the first time that this problem is recognized in the art for this type of product, high in nucleotides and/or nucleosides.
The problem is further aggravated by the fact that the product in question preferably contains a fish oil, having a fishy taste and smell of its own, which is—in combination with the taste of the uridine- and/or cytidine-containing nucleotides experienced as off-tastes like “oily” and “sickly”.
Unexpectedly, it was found that mouth feel, taste, aftertaste and smell of a liquid aqueous nutritional composition comprising a nucleoside and/or a nucleotide, and optionally an unsavoury edible oil, in particular a fish oil, could be improved considerably with the use of a taste masking agent selected from the group of starch; cellulose; xanthan gum; gellan gum; alginate; galactomannans such as fenugreek, guar gum, tara gum, locust bean gum, and cassia gum; gum karaya; gum tragacanth; carrageenan; and mixture thereof.